The $31.7 million 'Glencore accounts receivable' was allegedly fabricated: the credit chain of an iron ore giant is breaking.

A trader handling over 70 million tons of iron ore annually and generating nearly $10 billion in revenue is, within just a few weeks, losing support from banks, trading counterparties, and derivatives brokers. The latest lawsuit alleges that Radiant World obtained $31.7 million in financing using invoices already settled by Glencore and forged contracts. With multiple creditors filing lawsuits and Glencore setting aside approximately $480 million in provisions, the incident has escalated from an isolated financing dispute into a cross-market, cross-jurisdictional credit crisis. In the commodities trading world, risks rarely erupt without warning. Typically, the market reacts before court documents become public: banks reduce credit lines; trading counterparties halt shipments; clearing brokers freeze accounts; and employees begin resigning. By the time litigation formally surfaces, the credit chain has often already collapsed. Radiant World is undergoing precisely this process. This company—once rapidly ascending to become one of the world’s largest iron ore traders—is now accused by a financing platform of securing $31.7 million in funding using invoices already paid by Glencore and supporting fraudulent contracts. It must be emphasized that, as of now, these allegations remain claims made by the plaintiff in court filings; no final judicial ruling has been issued. Radiant World has previously denied any wrongdoing and stated that it consistently conducts business in accordance with the highest commercial and legal standards. Yet, as more banks, traders, and regulatory authorities intervene, this incident has clearly evolved far beyond a simple accounts receivable financing dispute. Two 'unpaid invoices' leveraged $31.7 million in financing According to court documents filed by Singapore-based accounts receivable financing platform Incomlend with the Singapore High Court, in December 2025, Amit Sharma, a senior executive of the Radiant World Group, contacted Incomlend seeking financing backed by accounts receivable invoices issued to Glencore International AG. In such transactions, the logic is straightforward: Radiant World claimed it had sold goods to Glencore but that payment was not yet due; the financing party advanced funds based on the invoice value and would collect directly from Glencore upon invoice maturity. In May 2026, Incomlend arranged $31.7 million in financing to Radiant World, relying on two invoices totaling over $34 million. For the financier, what truly mattered was not only Radiant World’s creditworthiness—but that Glencore, one of the world’s largest mining and commodities trading groups, stood as the ultimate payer. The problem emerged in August. When Incomlend requested payment from Glencore, Glencore reportedly responded that those invoices had already been paid—and that the underlying contracts were not genuine. The court documents also list further red flags, including inconsistent payment terms, discrepancies in the beneficiary bank account information, and mismatches between the vessels actually used for carriage and those listed in Radiant World’s documentation.

The era of 'sign the contract, issue the invoice, record the receivable, and flush the cash flow—and instantly scale up volume' has officially ended!

Many people still don’t fully grasp the difference between the gross method and the net method. In essence, the key criterion is simple: Before transferring the goods, do you control them—and are you responsible for them? Often, the reality is that you neither control the goods nor should bear the associated liabilities—yet you do anyway. Consider a vegetable vendor who buys a truckload of cabbages from the wholesale market at dawn, brings them back to his stall, sorts and prices them, and bears the risk of unsold stock rotting. He earns a markup—and records revenue at the full sales price. This is the gross method. Now consider a real estate agent who shows you a landlord’s property and collects a 2% commission upon closing. The property never belongs to him; pricing is set solely by the landlord; and he recognizes income only as commission. This is the net method. The Accounting Standard for Business Enterprises No. 14—Revenue explicitly states: If an enterprise holds control over goods prior to their transfer, it is the 'principal' and must apply the gross method; if it merely facilitates transactions and earns commissions or spreads, it is the 'agent' and must apply the net method. The problem lies precisely here: A large portion of what supply-chain trading companies do is, in substance, brokerage—upstream and downstream customers are pre-designated; goods ship directly without passing through the trader’s hands; prices are locked in and non-volatile; risks are fully passed through back-to-back; and the company earns only a fraction-of-a-percent 'channel fee.' Yet on financial statements, all such transactions are recorded at full invoice value—as if the company were the vegetable vendor. One transaction in, one out—and revenue becomes artificially inflated. Why, knowing full well these are landmines, did the entire industry keep stepping on them? The answer is straightforward: Revenue equals performance evaluation; performance evaluation equals ranking; ranking equals access to financing. Anyone familiar with the trading industry understands its unspoken food chain: revenue size → industry ranking → credit rating → bank credit lines. Growing revenue from $500 million to $5 billion fundamentally changes how banks perceive a company’s 'scale'; cracking the industry’s top ten unlocks government policy support, resources, and public recognition. Add to this the inertia of revenue-based KPIs—'missing profit targets can be explained away, but missing revenue targets guarantees punishment'—and inflating turnover via the gross method became an industry-wide, tacit shortcut. What lay between was years of 'paper prosperity,' built on gross-method accounting. Why did the mine explode now—after being buried for so long? Because the regulatory framework targeting supply-chain trade has just completed its encirclement. In October 2023, SASAC’s Document No. 74 came into effect, establishing 'Ten Prohibitions'—with clear red lines. Prohibition No. 9 explicitly forbids recognizing agency-trade revenue in violation of accounting standards—the gross-method issue was flagged as a red-line violation from day one. On January 1, 2026, SASAC’s Order No. 46—the 'Implementation Measures for Pursuing Responsibility for Irregular Business Investments by Central SOEs'—officially took effect: the scope of accountable irregularities expanded from 72 to 98 types; major violations trigger lifelong accountability; and personnel are held liable regardless of reassignment, retirement, or resignation. In March 2026, SASAC convened a special meeting on rectifying fake trade practices among local SOEs, prompting all 31 provincial-level administrative regions to launch comprehensive self-inspections, verifications, and accountability procedures for trade operations. In April 2026, the State Taxation Administration released the 'Positive and Negative List for Lawful Invoice Issuance by Taxpayers,' listing 28 prohibited practices—including financing-related trade, inconsistencies among the 'four flows' (contract, invoice, fund flow, and logistics), circular or matched invoicing, and 'empty-shell' or 'paper-only' transactions.

Radiant World Files Lawsuit Against Glencore in Singapore Courts

Sep 16, 2026

Radiant World and ten other companies sued London-listed miner Glencore in Singapore over a decade-long commercial relationship, seeking damages exceeding $2 billion. Radiant World denies wrongdoing, characterizing the case as a commercial dispute.

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